Rising Sun Times, Volume 1, Number 32, Rising Sun, Ohio County, 21 June 1834 — Page 2

Twenty-Third Congress.

SENATE. Moxd vv, June 9. Mr. Shetley said he had a distress memorial, sigued by a single individual, which he desired should be read. The memorial was signed by Selh Pitts, a soldier of the Revolution, who stated he did not wish to die until he had atoned for an error that he wos forced into, without knowing what ne was about; and rcotucsted that hiname might be. erased from a mcmr'ni ent to the Senate, lie had sned petition xircmsr Congress the depesites restored, and the Bank rethartered, when, in truth, he was opposed to the corn-oration, thought the Secretary of tlie Treasury right in the direction that his duty admonished him to give in removing the public fun.is from the Bank; and felt it to be his duly to correct an error whir',, would relieve him from a loml nf :. " fill, niliv.ll would be burdensome to carry across oornon. 1 he memorial was referred to the Committee on Finance, and ordered to ... be mtnted. Mr. Ewixa from the majority of the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, made a report, condemning the administration of the Department, and closing with resolutions censuring the omcers engaged in that oflice. After the report had been read, olr. unrNDY asked whether it was in crdcr to present to the Chair, a pa per containing the opinions of two members of the committee, differing very widely in many particulars from that presented by the majority. Most of the subjects treated of in that paper, r.e proposed to lay before the Senate the opinions of the minority of the committee upon, lie moved that it be received and read, and remarked that he thought each would be better understood after both had been read. Mr. G. then presented the views of the minority, not as a report, but as a paper, which was received and read. Mr. Southard moved that fifteen thousand extra copies of the reports be printed for distribution; which was opposed by Mr. Fousvth; and on which the yeas and nays were demanded. Before tlie question was taken, the motion to print the extra copies was postponed till to-morrow. The joint resolution from the House of Representatives, fixing upon the 30th of June for the adjournment of Congress, was taken up. The resolution was amended by striking out "30th of June," and inserting "30th instant.1' The resolution was then agreed to. Mr. Poixdexter moved to take up the bill providing for the meeting of the next session of Congress prior to the first Monday in December; which was agreed to. After sonic conversation between Mess:s. Poixdexter, Ci.w, Webster, and Cai.houx, Mr. Poixdf.xter moved to lay the bill on the table; which was agreed to. Tuesday, June 10. Mr. Tiptox, from the Committee on Military Affairs, asked to be discharged from the further consideration of the memorials of officers of the army, asking compensation of land for services rendered during the last war; which was agreed to. Mr. CrtAMBEHS, from the Committee on tlie District of Columbia, reported a bill for the relief of Georgetown and Alexandria, giving each of those cities $15,000 annually, for three years; w hich was read twice. The Senate resumed the considera tion of the motion made yesterday by Mr. vouTiiARD, to print fifteen thousand extra copies of the reports of th' Post Office Committee. .Messrs. Southard, Ewing, Claytx, and Wkrsteb, spoke at length in support of the motion and the report of the majority of the committee, who were followed by Mr. fiRLXDV, chairman of the Cornmil tee, in support of the views of the minority, expressing his willingness to vote for six thousand extra copies of the reports, that being the highest number of any oilier report for which he had voted. And the printing of thirty thousand extra copies he thought useless ami extravagant. Mr. Forsyth rrjoincd in opposition to printing so large and useless a number, which he estimated would cost 17,500 dollars. Mr. F. did not justify the borrowing of money by the Department without authority of law, but r entended that it was not without precedent in the hiftory of the Government. That two instances of the sort had occurred, which made two Prei.dents of the United States. He alluded to th sum of 250,000 borrowed by Mr. Monroe, when Secretary of "War, or. th" responsibility of tint De

partment, and remitted it to General Jackson at New Orleans, at that important crisis which resulted in the victory at New Orleans. He contended, however, that in both instances, the loans were for the ise of the respective Departments but that a report of the sums borrowed should have been made to Congress. liefore any question was taken-, (he

senate adjourned. TiiE GENERAL T'OsT OFFICE. In the Senate, yesterday, June 9th, Mr. jawing (el Ohio) from the Commit lee on the Pot OtHce, made the long looked-for Report on the affairs of that eslaolislm.,eiit. It was read at the Se Cretan's table, and the readinc of il whica we listened to with great alien ticn. occupied more than two hours. Of a document of such great length we shall not venture to give, from the mere hearing, any thing like analysis Deferring the full satisfaction of our readers in this particular, until we can publish the report at large, (which shal be as soon as practicable,) we must con tent ourselves, for to-day, with an attempt to sketch its general complexion. The report sets out with stating, as the result of the investigations by the committee, that the Department is largely insolvent. In addition to which, the committee report that the Postmas ter General has, from time to time, bor rowed large sums of money for the use ot tlie Post Oihcc, without any aulhori ty of law. Some of these loans, it is stated, were made during the last ses sion of Congress, at the commencement of which the Postmaster General had reported the Department to be in pes session of a considerable surplus of lunds. 1 he report goes on to state the debts and credits of the Department, as nearly as can be ascertained, where by it appears that the General Post Office is insolvent by eight hundred and three thousand six hundred and twen ty-five dollars beyond all its resources. Comparing the expenses of the Post Office Establishment for four jears pre ceding the commencement of the pre sent Administration, with the fouryears following them, it is stated by the com mittee that the expense of the last four years exceeded that of the preceding lour jears, by three millions three hun dred and thirty-eight thousand dollars. H itlun the last term of four years, it is true, some few mail routes have been established; but their aggregate ex pense bears but a very small proportion to the amount of the excess thus ascer tained. This excess of expenditure, and consequent insolvency of the Post Otlice, is mainly attributed to malad ministration and favoritism in the making of contracts and extra allowances, of which the Report goes on to spread out in detail a. number of particular cases, as a sample of the whole. The report declares the reports, statements, and estimates of the officers of the Post office to be so erroneous and defective as little to be relied upon: so little, that unfavorable as are the conclusions which the Commilte arrives at, it is more probable that they fall far short of, rather than exceed the reality. In proof of which, among oth er circumstances, it is stated that in Ihe number of miles in a year travelled by the Mails, as detailed in tlie Annual Report of the Postmaster General, there is, by accurate compulation, error to the amount of no less than seven millions two hundred thousand miles. Hie Report points out also many dis crepancies between the statements in the Blue Hook (thus designating the bi ennial report of olhcial expenses made to Congress) and olhcial and other statements, as to the amounts of contract', extra allowances, and contingent expenses, snowing great inaccuracy and confusion in the accounts and administration of the Department. The report also condemns the practice, which is proved to have prevailed, of pledging the Department for loans obtained by contractors, and in turn making use of the names of contractors to obtain money for the use of the Department In connection with which, the committee allude to certain money transactions between contractors and individuals in office in the Department, which have come out in evidence before Ihe committee, and which they particularize, but submit without comment to the Senate. The contingent expenditures of the Department, the allowances of money to travelling agents, the payment of money to pi inters in various shapes, the employment of Printers as contractors, &c., and other matters which "bring the patronage of the Government in conffict with the freedom of election," are handled with great force and some severity by the committee: and the Report ends with a series of resolution declaratory of errors, abuse?, and defects, mostly imputable to th? administration of the post Office,

but in part also inherent in the system i itself, which, in the opinion bf the committee, have increased, are increasing, and ought to be diminished. Upon the whole, it will be allowed on all hands, when the Report of the Committee comes to be read, that it affords in itself the best explanation of

the term, "a searching operation m the Government" that has yet been made. JNtona2 Intelligencer. The counter report of Messrs. Grun dy and Robinson, on the condition of the Post Office Department, cives a clear and lucid exhibition to the char acter and condition of that department and furnishes a strong testimony of the fidelity with which it has deen admmi tcred. The long experience of Mr, Grundy as a statesman, and especially as Chairman of that Committee hi superiority of talents his industry and business habits, altogether qualify him for the investigation in which he has been engaged quite as well, it is be lieved, as any other gentleman in either House of Congress. His coadjutor General Robinson, is also a gentleman of clear, discriminating mind, indefati gable in his application to business, of unblemished honor, and well qualified for the service which has been allotted to him. If there were any thing wrong or improper, it could not have escaped the scrutiny of these gentlemen. Their hiirh character is a pledge for their faithfulness. Whatever may be the momentary influence of party feeling upon the minds of any portion of the public, we confidently venture the as sertion, that none will question the a bility, the integrity, or the fidelity, of either of those gentlemen, r or every position which they have assumed, they refer to the evidence by which it is sus tained; and we are satisfied that every unprejudiced person will be convinced after a careful perusal of this document that there is nothing deserving the re proaches visited on the department, by the majority report. Such is the clear testimony of this report, and such wil be the firm conviction of every dispas sionate mind. This report accounts satisfactorily for the deficit in the finances of the De parlmcnt. It shows that the yearly in come was deficient before the present incumbent came into oflice that a di minution of its funds had commenced more than a year before and that they had declined, at the time of his taking possession of the Department, about 100,000; and that the falling off con tinued from its beginning, in 1827, or early in 1323, to the close of the last year. It snows mat tlie debt ot the Department beyond its available means is about $300,000. which debt rests on the credit of the Department, and not of the Treasury that the Postmaster General, by an allusory system which had ever prevailed of accounting for the expenses of the Department, had not known its real condition in time to prevent the embarrassment ; but so soon is the cause was disclosed, the correc tive was applied. It shows the improve mcnts which the present Postmaster General has made in his system of accountability, and the security of the funds of the Department. It also re commends a more perfect organization of the Department, by subofheers hold ing their appointment from the Executive and Senate, as in the other Departments; and assigns as the reason why this has not been done at an earli er day, that the Department was small in its beginning, and that the rapidity of ils growth has gone before the proper action of Congress, but that action should be no longer delayed. It shows that under the present ad ministration, there is a system introduced into the Department, of keeping ooks in which all the mail routes are entered in numerical order, with the number of miles in the length of each route, the names of the several post ollices on it, the distance from one to another, the manner in which the mail is transported on each route, and the number of trips in a day, a week, or a year. rrom mese oooks, tne exact ength of post roads, is ascertained to lave been, in 1332, 104,467 miles in 1833, it is ascertained to have been 1 9,9 1 0 miles showing that the law of 1832, establishing new post routes, added 15,449 miles to the length of post oads,morc than one-seventh part of all the post roads in the United states, prior to that time, i rom these books it is also ascertained, that the annual transportation of the mail in 1832, was 23,032,330. This is a little more than what the Postmaster General reported at that time; and the incorrectness, and evident falsity of the statement of the majority, taken from the report of the Bradleys, is clearly demonstrated. It appears that the majority of the committee went into an investigation of the private concerns of the officers

of the Department, constituting them

selves a secret inquisition, searching in to the details of individual transactions and engagements, evidently for the pur pose of drawing unfavorable inference's to make a false impression upon the public mind, without even giving the individuals concerned information of their doings or designs. Their first inquiries seem to have been directed against the Postmaster General. There was an insinuation, that he had received pecuniary relief from a person, or pcisons, who were mail contractors. The counter report shows, that a friend of the Postmaster General had endors ed, or in some way become security for him; that his friend had borrowed mo ney from another friend o meet the claim with promptness; that this other friend happened to be a mail contract or; but that the whole transaction was without even the knowledge of the Postmaster General, but that the mo ney borrowed was repaid, and the claim cancelled, without any reference to official relations, and by a mutual friend who had no official relations with either of them. Il is proved that the Postmaster General was ignorant of the whole transaction. Many insinuations were made of favoritism to contractors, for transporting the mail; all of which were made the subject of close investigation. Among them, the conspicuous standing which James Reeside holds as a mail con tractor and stage proprietor, subjected j his contracts to special scrutiny. It appears, however, from the counter re port, that he is transporting the mail much lower at present than he ever did under the former administration; and there is nothing in evidence to show that he enjoys any special favor from the department, or any thing beyond the measure of the strictest justice. But Mr. Recside's contracts were not alone subjected to the ordeal of the Committee. The counter report states that "the committee examined carefully into all cases where complaints were made, or where any suspicion , was intimated ot lavcritism Having been ex tended by the Department to any con tractor, or any improper exercise of the discretion of the Postmaster General m granting allowances. Every such case became the subject of rigid sctuti-

ny, and not a single instance of alleged me last packet, t rom England there abuse has been omitted by the Com- is but little of importance. The demittee." It gives the disclosures made bate on the motion of Mr. O'Connell,

on each one of these, in detail; and it does not discover an instance which ought to subject the department to censure. It admits, that the amount of expenses for improvement had better been confined within the current resourses of the Department, but it does nof discover a single case in wnicn tne ailowances made were more tnan a rea sonable compensation for the sen ices i rendered. Globe. REMARKS OF 3IR. LANE, In the House of Representatives on the 29th ult., on the resolution for the ad journment of Congres Mr. Lane said, he had given several silent voles upon the subject of the adjournment of thesession. That it was not his intention to detain the House y saying any thing that shall invite a reply, or add to the present excitement. Un the contrary, he desired to allay every unpleasant feeling, and banish from the Hall all party spirit all thoughts of who should or should not hereafter fill high places. Mr. Speaker, as yet we have done but little, while all the important bills

in which the public inferest is concern- The Strathfield, chartered by the Emied, remain to be disposed of. That gration Committee, was to sail from

he did not believe gentlemen would be disposed to delay the imporfant business of the House. A different feeling seems now to be manifested by all. bir, from the various important bills referred to by several honorable gentlemen, it i3 evident that the 23d of June will be too limited to accomplish that which all admit to be of public and private importance. rliere is, however, one bill upon the files, regulating the deposites of the public money, said Mr. L., he would never agree by his vote to adjourn, until finally acted upon. However great us confidence in the Secretary of the rreasury, and unbounded in the Exccutive, every consideration of public duty demanded it. As we regard ourselves and respect the wishes of our constituents, and the reputations of lose individuals and the honor of the country, we will dispose of this delicate and all exciting subject. It is called

lor as we regard the public fears, to March, and issued a proclamation, adrestorc public and private confidence, dressed to the Caslillians. He has

and to relieve, as far as possible, the juoiic cmoarrassment. The objection made by the gentle-

man from Kentucky (Mr. Chilton) is St. Ubes but were repulsed with considnot a sound one. that if we pass the erable Inss. Th Pnni. lm Tnnmmn-

bill it will fail in the other Hou iowever exceptionable the other bill in ils present form to the notions of I

thai honorable gentleman, like all others, it may be altered and amended until it might even fill the wishes of the gentleman himself. The ether branch, in their wisdom, will also be at liberty to mould it to their sense of propriety and duly. Mr. Speaker, my honorable friend from Kentucky (Mr. Johnson) says, twenlysevV years experience has taught him that ibis house will never do any thing until tiV lay of adjournment is li.d. Granted, but does that prove that a reasonable .'insc ought not to he given between the ?ime of fixing and the day of adjournment? And thai in doing this, we ought not io be influenced by the business to be tran.-"icted ? There is another bill :vhich seems to have been overlooked by all save the honorable gentleman at my left, (Mr. Chilton.) I refer to the bill placing the soldiers of the West upon the pension list with those of the Revolution. Mr. Speaker, I may forget myself, but I will never forget the warworn soldiers of the valley of Ohio. No, sir, nor will I cease to vindicate their characters, and urge their claims upon tlie nation, while I shall be honored with a scat upon this floor.

Sir, my honorable friend at the right (Mr. Johnson) says his constituents dcsire to sec um. ut tins mere can be All who know him, desireno doubt, to see him. The gentleman says, this is the popular branch of the Government the last hope of freedom. To the sentiment I respond most heartily. Yes, Mr. Sneaker, in this Hall, 1 have no doubt, the last voice in defence of liberty and law will be heard. In this Hall, that eagle will make its last flutter that banner for the last time be unfurled, Here shall liberty bid her last adieu, Yes, sir, in this Hall will the last smile be dashed from the lips of that fair goddess by snmeambilious tyrant, bursting these doors with swords and body guards, bidding the Representatives of the People depart. Heaven grant that day shall be distant; far, far distant. FItO.II EUROPE. The arrival at New York, of the ship Canada, has placed us in possession of intelligence from Eu rope several days later than any received by for the repeal of the Union was brought to a close on the evening of the 29lh of April, by a decisive vote against it. Immediately after the decision, Mr. Spring Rice moved an Address to the King on the subject of the Repeal, which was agreed to by a majority of ioo oj memoers voung in lavor, and only 33 against it. Oa the 30th the .Address was communicated to the House of Lords, when Earl Grey moved that it be concurred in. The mo tion, after two impressive speeches from Lord Grey and Lord Brougham, was unanimously agreed to, and the King appointed the first day of May for receiving it. the death of Mr. Lander, the Afri can traveller, who was murdered at a place two or thee hundred miles up the XT: river, will be a cause ot deep regret to the friends of science. I he ship Eliza, of 850 tons, Captain Crouch, left London on the 2Gth, for New York, with two hundred and fifty pasengers; consisting chiefly of farmers with their families from Suffolk and NNorfolk, well supplied with money for purshasing and tilling: land in America. Gravesend on the 1st, with tzvo hundred and ninety young women, of good char acter, for Hobartstown,New S. Wales, Arrests are going on in France, and every means resorted to that can strengthen Louis Phillipe on his throne. A debate had occurred in the Chamber of Deputies, on the subject of the colonization of Algiers. The city of Paris has been condemned to pay the damages and loss in several cases. where gunsmiths and sword cutters had sustained any, during the late revolutionary movements. A treaty between France, England, Spain and Don Pedro, was signed at Lor.don, on the 22d. England and France are to aid the Oueen of Spain in expelling Don Carlos, and Don Pedro in his war against Don Miguel, This, of course, secures the restoration of Donna Maria to the throne. Don Carlos declared himself Kinj of Spain, at Villa Real, on the 17th however been driven from his strongest positions bv the Sn.-mish troons. The Mifiielifp hnrl a cm in attacked v-ivu J-' v-t tlllU 1113 nv in short, all the frifmk nf I bo, Oueen's cause.